diff --git a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/converter/AbstractWordConverter.java b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/converter/AbstractWordConverter.java
index 5a6221e8b..e5fd7382c 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/converter/AbstractWordConverter.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/converter/AbstractWordConverter.java
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractWordConverter
                                 currentTableLevel, aliveField, block );
 
                         int continueAfter = aliveField.getEndOffset();
-                        while ( range.getCharacterRun( c ).getEndOffset() <= continueAfter
-                                && c < range.numCharacterRuns() )
+                        while ( c < range.numCharacterRuns()
+                                && range.getCharacterRun( c ).getEndOffset() <= continueAfter )
                             c++;
 
                         if ( c < range.numCharacterRuns() )